Dead Man Walking (song)

"Dead Man Walking" is a song written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels and released as single from the 1997 album Earthling. It was a number 32 hit in the UK.

"Dead Man Walking"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Earthling
Released14 April 1997
FormatCD
RecordedLooking Glass Studio, New York City
Genre
Length7:26 (album version)
4:01 (single edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Little Wonder"
(1997)		 "Dead Man Walking"
(1997)		 "Seven Years in Tibet"
(1997)

The guitar riff used in the intro dates back to the mid-1960s when Jimmy Page taught it to Bowie.[1] "Jimmy said, 'I've got this riff and I can't do anything with it. Do you want it?'" related guitarist Reeves Gabrels. "It does sound fairly Page-y, like a mutated Johnny Burnette Trio thing."[2] Bowie used it for "The Supermen" in 1970, and revived it 25 years later for "Dead Man Walking".

Versions and remixes
TitleMix and additional productionDuration
Album VersionMark Plati7:26
EditMark Plati4:01
Moby Mix 1Moby7:31
Moby Mix 2Moby5:25
House MixMoby6:00
This One's Not Dead Yet RemixDanny Saber6:28
Vigor Mortis RemixDanny Saber6:29

The single

2-track CD
  1. "Dead Man Walking (edit)" – 4:01
  2. "Dead Man Walking (Album version)" – 6:50

Released 21 March 1997 in the Netherlands by BMG.

Arista / 74321 47480 2 (EU)
  1. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix)" – 7:31
  2. "Dead Man Walking (Album version)" – 6:50
  3. "I'm Deranged (Jungle mix)" – 7:00

Released 21 March 1997 in the Netherlands by BMG.

CD: Arista / 74321 47614 2 (EU)
  1. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix)" – 7:31
  2. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
  3. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
  4. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29

Released 24 March 1997 in the Netherlands by BMG.

CD: RCA / 74321 47584 2 (UK)
  1. "Dead Man Walking (Single edit)" – 4:01
  2. "I'm Deranged (Jungle mix)" – 7:00
  3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Good Karma mix)" – 5:00

Released 14 April 1997 in UK by RCA and BMG.

CD: RCA / 74321 47585 2 (UK)
  1. "Dead Man Walking (Album version)" – 6:50
  2. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix 1)" – 7:31
  3. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
  4. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28

Released 14 April 1997 in UK by RCA and BMG.

CD: Arista / 74321 47614 2 (Australia)
  1. "Dead Man Walking (Single edit)" – 4:01
  2. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix 1)" – 7:31
  3. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
  4. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
  5. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29

Released 28 April 1997 in Australia by BMG.

Arista / BVCA-8845 (Japan)
  1. "Dead Man Walking (Single edit)" – 4:01
  2. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
  3. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
  4. "I'm Deranged (Jungle mix)" – 7:00

Released May 1997 in Japan.

UK 12" vinyl version
  1. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
  2. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29
  3. "Telling Lies (Paradox mix)"

Italian 12" vinyl version
  1. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix 1)" – 7:31
  2. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
  3. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
  4. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29

At least six additional promo singles were released.

Personnel
  • David Bowie – production, writing credits, vocals, sampling

Live versions
  • Bowie played an acoustic version of the song on Late Night with Conan O'Brien with Reeves Gabrels. This was later released on the show's Live from 6A compilation album. When Bowie died in January 2016, Conan O'Brien broadcast the performance at the end of his show in remembrance.
  • Another live version recorded at Fort Apache Studios, 8 April 1997, was broadcast at WBCN. The year after this version appeared on the album WBCN Naked Too.
  • Bowie played a different live acoustic version of "Dead Man Walking" at a concert at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta, Georgia on 4 August 1997, which was hosted by Atlanta alternative rock radio station 99X. 99X later included it as a track on their 99X Live X IV "Home" CD.

Charts
Charts (1997) Position
Official Charts Singles UK 32[4]

Other releases
  • It was featured in the 1997 film The Saint.
  • Two Moby mixes were released on the bonus disc of the 2004 Digibook Expanded Edition of Earthling.

Use in other media
  • "Dead Man Walking" was used as introduction for "Lo Que Queda del Día", a late-afternoon news programme from Chilean Radio Cooperativa. It was also included in the soundtrack to The Saint.
  • Used as theme music for early episodes of MTV's Making The Video.

References
  1. "Changes 2.1" by Joe Gore, Guitar Player magazine, June 1997, pp 45–58
  2. DeMain, Bill (April 2018). "Reeves Gabrels talks about David Bowie". Classic Rock. No. 247. p. 58.
  3. Discogs - Zachary Alford - (profile & discography)
  4. "dead man walking | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Retrieved 26 January 2018.
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